[after 23 hands]
As John read the book, Magali's screams and cries didn't seem to affect him. When he glanced over, he found her huddled up, trying her best to hide her tears as she attempted to rest.
John: hmmm? Tired already? If I were in your place I would use every second.
Magali: *sob* *sob* *ngh* *sniff* FUCK YOU!!!
John: you still have to cut it 77 times, so quit lazing around.
[After 48 hands]
Magali is on her knees, staring at the knife, her eyes red from crying. In an instant, she does something unexpected.
Magali: I CAN'T HANDLE THIS ANYMORE!!!
She points the knife to her head, but when her hand reaches the skin on her forehead, she can't feel the knife in her hand.
John: looking for something?
In his right hand, he's holding the book, and in the other he's holding the knife.
Even though her face is full of tears, she was able to make a shocked face.
Magali: w-what?! H-How?!
John: did you really think I would make you end your life like this? Go ahead and try to Choke yourself.
Magali looks at her both hands, then she tries to put them on her neck, but suddenly her hands stop before they can reach it, no matter how strong she tries, the result is still the same.
Magali: (huh?! I can't hurt myself).
John: I knew you'll give up at some point, so I made sure that you can't kill yourself in any way possible, no matter how you try the only way to get yourself out of this situation is by continuing to cut your hand.
Then he threw the knife in front of her, desperate to end this hell, Magali grabs the knife and continues.
[After 79 hands]
Magali's breathes heavily as the hand she holds the knife with is shaking a lot.
Thorn watches everything from the beginning, thinking he might be the next.
Thorn: (this insanity, even demons have more logic, this guy is not a human anymore, he's now a monster, what if he made me do the same?!).
John looks at Thorn who's staring at Magali.
John: hmmm? Thorn, you've been staring at Magali for a while now, do you want to join her?
Thorn: N-No!!! I'm fine where I am.
John: Hmph, suit yourself.
[After 98 hands]
Magali now is pushed to her limits, her vision is getting foggy, and she already lost count of the number of hands she cut off, the unbearable pain is making her mind dizzy.
Magali: *panting* *panting* (how long have I been doing this? How much do I still have to go?).
*shhk-slice*
John: (she's almost there, but I already have something to break her mind for the rest of her life).
Magali: (I just want to get out of here, I don't want to stay here any longer).
*shhk-slice*
Just when Magali cuts her hand, John starts clapping.
John: Bravo, Bravo, you actually managed to do it.
Magali: huh?! What does that mean?
John: you've cut your hand a hundred times, and we still didn't reach sunset, Congratulations, you won *snap*.
John snaps his fingers, and suddenly, a wave of red mana comes across the office for a second, and with it the hands Magali just cut off disappear alongside the knife and the Hellhound.
Magali looks confused about what happened.
Magali: h-huh?! Where did the hands go?!
John: haven't you figured it out yet? All that was an illusion made by me, so tell me, what do you think of it?
When she heard that, something Broke inside Magali's mind.
Magali: hehehehe, hahahahaha, HAHAHAHAHAHA- *Vomiting* *sob** hic* *sob* *sniff*.
With a hysterical laugh, Magali vomits on the floor before running out of the office door in tears at what she saw.
Seeing this, Thorn, who's still kneeling on the ground had only one question.
Thorn: M-Mr shon, excuse my question, but I must ask, you could've just made her sign a contract like me, that would've made things easier, so why go through so much trouble?
John: hmmm. You're right, that would've been easier, but that would've taken away the Joy of breaking her will.
A big scary smile appears on his face as he says that, Thorn realizes that he needs to be careful while being around John.
Thorn: (h-he's not a human, what exactly is he?!).
Out of the sudden, John's smile fade away as his eyes start glowing and his voice sends a wave of chills across Thorn's back.
John: stand up.
Without hesitation, Thorn's body immediately follows John's words.
As John stands from the chair, he starts walking towards Thorn, and when he reaches him, he puts his hand on his shoulder.
John: I hate people who try to manipulate me, Magali lithblom tried to spy on me so I had to show her a bit of what I can do to her.
Suddenly, his fingers began to pierce Thorne's flesh.
John: you won't betray me, will you?
In a panicked Tone, Thorn says the first thing on his mind to survive.
Thorn: N-NO I WON'T!!! MAY LIGHTNING STRIKE ME IF I EVER THINK ABOUT THAT!!!
John: very good.
He removed his hand from Thorn's shoulder and starts walking to the door.
John: by the way, clean up the mess lady Magali made, we don't want the students to say anything about the smell of the place.
Thorn: u-understood.
In the empty hallway, a conversation started between Elesa and John.
John: I must admit, I didn't expect your Hallucinations to be this powerful, it felt like real life.
Elesa: OHohoboho, what can I say, after all I'm the strongest, keep praising me.
John: *sigh* I should've expected that answer from you, by the way Elesa, do you think I'm ready?
Elesa: hmmm? Ready for what?
John: don't you remember?
[Flashback]
[In whisper woods, one year ago]
Besides the river, Leon stands in front of a big rock shirtless, on the top of the rock, Elesa was laying down while looking at Leon.
Elesa: so, are you ready to start your training?
Leon: I'm ready, but I still want to know more about the arcane arts, can you tell me more about it?
Elesa: I was going to tell you while you train, but I guess there's no harm to tell about it now, Ahem, the arcane arts were originally made by the first Demon King, when he was still alive, I've heard anyone who has what it takes can learn it, demon, angel, human, or a dragon.
Leon: so anyone can learn it? Then why don't I see anyone using it?
Elesa: by now you should know that this kind of power doesn't come without flaws, and the only flaw for the arcane arts is how you can make your body accept it, most of the people who try learning it dies.
Leon: wait, what does that mean?
Elesa: that means, every part of you, whether it was your mind, or your soul, or even your flesh, you have to push them all to their absolute limits, not to mention, this is only for the first phase.
Leon: huh?! There's more than one phase?!
Elesa: yes, there are 4 phases to the arcane arts, everyone starts at the first one, but then after that you'll be on your own.
Leon: but why?
Elesa: the arcane arts are just a path you follow, everyone using the arcane arts have a different and unique technique when using it, so I can only guide you on the few steps of the first phase.
Leon: hmmm, I understand now, by the way, which phase are you in right now Elesa?
Elesa: ohohoho, I'm so proud to say that I'm in the third phase.
A flicker of interest died as quickly as it came to Leon's face.
Leon: meh.
Elesa: WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!!
John: I expected more from the demon queen.
Elesa: heh, jokes on you, the only one that reached the fourth phase is the first Demon King.
Leon: is it really that hard to reach?
Elesa: even the third phase is hard to reach, when I reached it, there was already less than 10 people who reached it, and I'm one of them.
John: hmmm.
Elesa: so, after hearing all that, do you still want to learn it?
Leon gives her a straight face and gave her his answer.
Leon: yes, I still want to learn it, so please don't go easy on me.
Elesa: hehe, okay.
[End of the flashback]
Elesa: oh right, I remember now.
John: so? Do you think I'm ready for the second phase?
Elesa: hmmm, no, you're still so far from it.
John: oh, then how do I know I'm ready for it?
Elesa: when the time comes, your body will tell you.
John: you sound like an old man.
Elesa: HEY!!!
John: well, until then, I guess I'll try getting stronger.
Elesa: so, what's our next step? I feel like it's something big.
John: I'm going to study for the Midterm exams.
Elesa: *sigh* at least I can read my novels.
On one of the hallway windows, a snowflake comes from the sky and land on the glass of the window.
To be Continued . . . .